Simone Manuel, the sixteen year-old from the First Colony Swim Team in Texas breaks Missy Franklins 15-16 National Age Group record in the 50 free. In 2011, Franklin set the record at 25.26. During heat 3 of the women’s 50 free at the 2013 World Championship Trials in Indianapolis, Manuel posted a time of 25.06. In the following heat, NCAA champion Margo Geer swam the exact same time as the sixteen year-old. Manuel has already qualified for the 2013 World Championship team as a member of the 4×100 freestyle relay.
Manuel has a very bright future ahead of her and is already swimming in the company of some of the nations top athletes. She is tied for the top seed going into the finals tonight with Geer. Joining Manuel and Geer in the final heat of the 50 meter free tonight are Olympians, Natalie Coughlin, Christine Magnuson, Jessica Hardy, and Amanda Weir. The top two finishers in tonights race will qualify to swim the event in Barcelona.
Manuel is just 16, and therefore not able to break the 17-18 national age group record, but she is only .06 seconds off of Kara Lynn Joyce’s 17-18 National Age Group record of 25.00 set back in 2004. Kara Lynn Joyce used to be Missy Franklin’s training partner.
Simone is our teammate on First Colony Swim Team – FCST here in Sugar Land! She works hard and inspires all of her fellow swimmers to keep reaching for the stars! We are all watching and cheering her latest great success as she shows us what swimming is all about! GO SIMONE!
What a breakout meet for Miss Manuel! She continues to improve regularly. 100 free junior pan pacs champion last year. Last March she swims 22.04 and 47.73 in SCY. And this week she swims 53.86 in the 100 free and now 25.06 in the 50 free prelims. USA finally has found the 50 free/100 free specialist to play with Cate Campbell or Ranomi Kromowidjojo in the next years.